Shear connector performance analysis for composite bridge deck with corrugated steel sheeting

On the basis of the steel-concrete composite orthotropic bridge deck, corrugated steel plate is introduced as the longitudinal bottom plate, onto which shear connectors are welded to form a new type of composite bridge deck, namely corrugated steel-concrete composite bridge deck. The integration of the steel sheeting and concrete together can make full use of the performance of steel in carrying the load. This paper describes an investigation of a real bridge in Anhui Province, China, focusing on the load-carrying capacity of the corrugated steel-concrete composite deck and the failure mode of the shear connectors. First, the mechanical properties of a shear connector welded onto a corrugated steel-concrete composite bridge deck are simulated and explored experimentally. A set of comparative tests on three groups of push-out specimens are designed and carried out. The test results show that the ultimate load-carrying capacity of the corrugated steel-concrete composite deck is increased by about 45% as compared with the standard specimens and the slip at the interface is reduced by about 34%. A comprehensive parametric study of the three sets of push-out tests is then conducted using the nonlinear finite element method. The parametric analysis shows that the ultimate shear capacity of the shear connector increases with the strengths of the concrete and corrugated steel plate as well as with the diameter of the stud, albeit with diminishing return.